The victory at Yorktown would not have been possible without contributions, great and small, from people throughout the colonies and beyond.  This month, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday with its roots in the survival of the first English colonists in the 1600s.  After the Revolution, when George Washington had become president, he issued the first Thanksgiving Proclamation, setting aside the last Thursday of November in 1789 as a national day of “public thanksgiving and prayer” to thank “that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be,” for, among other things, “his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation.”  Proclamation of October 3, 1789.

As a nation, we continue to set aside the last Thursday of November to give thanks.  Last year, President Biden’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation described Thanksgiving as “a time to reflect on our many blessings — from God, this Nation, and each other.”

This November, Virginia C.A.R. members and seniors will take time to give thanks for their many blessings.  One of those blessings all members share is a direct link to the men and women who worked so hard to achieve independence from Great Britain and create this exceptional country.  We all have a patriot ancestor who was an important part of getting to the victory at Yorktown.

So, during this month of gratitude and reflection, pause to remember these individuals, many of whom do not appear in history books or a Google search. 

Welcome to the Round Table . . . Your Patriot Ancestor! 

What did your Patriot Ancestor do?  Post about your Patriot Ancestor on the VSCAR Facebook page.  Share your ancestor’s name and a brief description of the own personal story.  Or, even better, post a video telling your ancestor’s story!

Prizes will be awarded at the State Conference in February to the local societies with (1) the most original Facebook post about a Patriot Ancestor during November and (2) the greatest number of Facebook posts about a Patriot Ancestor during November.

Check out the Your Patriot Ancestor Fact Sheet for more ideas for your local society meetings.